


Wet Hot Pants

by ArgentSleeper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Disabled Character, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-29
Updated: 2015-09-29
Packaged: 2018-04-24 00:58:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4899388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin needs a towel.  Mordred sells towels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wet Hot Pants

**Author's Note:**

> This may or may not have happened to me this last weekend, minus the attractive shop worker.
> 
> Unbeta'd. For tropes bingo: "Disabled character"

Merlin swore loudly, then winced and apologized to a nearby mother and her toddler. But honestly, _fuck_.

He’d known it was a bad idea to leave his brolly at home. Sure it had been completely and totally sunny, with not a single cloud in the sky, and of course the forecast had shown a perfectly clear radar, but what did any of that matter? Everyone knew the only way to ward off a torrential downpour was to be prepared for one to happen.

And so here Merlin was, sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of the parking lot at Tesco, drenched.

As quickly as his arms would manage Merlin wheeled himself under the roof, swearing some more –internally this time– as the tires slipped across the puddles. Already his damp jeans were starting to chafe against his skin, and the water under his butt was soaking through to his boxers. This was going to be a miserable shopping trip. If he didn’t need to refill his empty fridge so desperately he would have just turned around and gone home right then.

But he did need the food, and there was no way he was going to go through all the trouble to drag himself in and out of his car once again, so he was just going to have to deal. First things first, he needed to find a towel.

Not for the first time Merlin wished that towels went through the same ever changing fashion trends as clothes. His towel collection, far too often garnered from trips like this one, was enormous. He was fairly certain he owned at least one of every colour and pattern in the entire Tesco, including several of the children’s styles. With a sigh he grabbed a plain blue one off the shelf. It was always best to find one that closely matched his trousers in case the colour bled.

“Can I help you find anything, sir?”

Merlin turned his head to see one of the shop workers walking towards him. Despite his bad mood he couldn’t help but smile at the familiar sight. Mordred always seemed to find him every time he came into the Tesco, no matter what department Merlin was shopping in. If he didn’t know any better he’d think the young man was stalking him, but one of his co-workers had spilled the beans last time Merlin was here.

“ _Will you just ask the poor boy out before he sprains himself pining?”_

Well, perhaps ‘spilled the beans’ wasn’t quite the right term to use. Blatantly tattled on him might be better.

Not that Merlin minded. Mordred was certainly attractive, and his earnest kindness was even more so.

“Thanks, Mordred, but it’s just this for now. I’d prefer to just get out of these wet pants entirely, but the towel will have to do.”

Mordred’s eyes bulged, and his face turned deep red. Suddenly Merlin realized what he said and nearly dropped the towel in mortification. “I- I mean-”

“I can ring that up for you,” Mordred blurted out, eyes fixed somewhere on a top shelf. “The towel I mean. If you tear off the tag. Then you can use it now and have less… wet pants…”

“Right.” Merlin nearly ripped a hole in the cloth yanking the thing off as fast as he could. Then he fumbled out a five pound note from his wallet. “Thanks.”

Mordred reached forward to take the items, but he still was refusing to look Merlin in the eye. Instead of grabbing the bits of paper, he missed and ended up with Merlin’s wrist. Immediately he dropped it like a hot coal. “Sorry. I- sorry.”

“Oh for-” Merlin caught hold of Mordred’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Do you think you’ll be over my foot in mouth syndrome by the time you’re off work toni-?”

“Yes!” Mordred slapped his free hand over his mouth. “I mean-”

Merlin just laughed. He couldn’t deny he was just as eager. “I’ll see you at seven then.”

“Wait, how did you-?”

“Thank your friend at the till.”

Merlin let go of his hand, leaving the price tag and fiver in his palm. Then he levered himself up to wedge the towel between his legs and his seat. He was going to have to speed up his shopping trip if he wanted to get home and change his jeans first. Maybe he’d just skip it. He didn’t really _need_ food, did he?


End file.
